Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez, entered the UFC on FOX 30 main event last Saturday night (July 28, 2018) in Calgary on the last fight of his UFC contract.
“The Underground King” was defeated by way of second-round technical knockout, but that wasn't the only story coming out of “Cowtown,” thanks to an illegal 12-6 elbow that cost him position and may have paved the way for Dustin Poirier to secure the finish (watch it).
Either way, that ties them up at one apiece.
“Controversial calls, judging, and fan support can always add to the drama but in the end one will stand and one will fall,” Alvarez wrote on Instagram. “Hats off to Dustin and his team, he stayed calm under pressure and fought beautifully, this makes us 1-1.”
I can only assume he’s referencing his first fight with Poirier at UFC 211 in May 2017, which ended by way of “No Contest” when Alvarez landed an illegal knee on the downed “Diamond,” also in the second round. That would make him 0-1, 1 NC.
As for referee Marc Goddard’s decision to stand them up after the foul?
“In no way will I judge Goddard harshly, we have the same job,” he wrote. “He has to make decisions in split seconds just like I do, and he makes them with my health and my opponents in mind. What’s done is done.”
Following the bout, coach Mark Henry took the blame for calling for the elbow during his cageside instructions. He later explained how the strike he was trying to get Alvarez to throw was slanted and not downward, but this video makes it clear why things ran amok.
“As for Mark Henry calling for an elbow in the heat of the moment, an angled elbow is an incredible shot from the position I was in,” Alvarez wrote. “We simply had a miscommunication, it happens in war more often than not. This was a case of ‘friendly fire’ and we ended up on the losing end of this battle But let’s remember Ricardo and Mark are also responsible for my UFC world title and wins over some of the greatest fighters in UFC.”
No word yet on whether or not Alvarez will re-sign with UFC, but even in defeat, “The Underground King” is one of the most exciting fighters in the 155-pound division and will no doubt receive a sizable offer to come back.
We hope.
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